The present invention relates generally to refrigerators and in particular to refrigerators with storage bins such as ice buckets.
Refrigerators are commonly equipped with shelves and storage bins for various food items, including ice. The shelves and storage bins may either be fixed in place, may be movable, such as slidable to extend out of the refrigeration compartment to allow a user to access the shelf or bin more readily, or the shelves and bins may be formed on the refrigerator door.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,507, a storage bin for a refrigerator is mounted on pivotal arms and to the refrigerator door such that the bin will move out upon the opening of the refrigerator door, every time the door is opened. A second storage bin is provided that may be selectively slid or rolled out of the refrigeration compartment by the user after the door is opened.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,899,083 and 6,447,083 refrigerators are disclosed having a number of fixed shelves and slidable storage bins which may be manually moved by a user after the door is opened. A slidable door, in the form of a drawer with a captured storage bin is also provided, with the bin moving out of the refrigeration compartment every time the door is opened. Fixed shelves and bins are also located in the pivoting doors of the refrigerators.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,038, vertically movable storage bins are provided for attachment to the refrigerator door, and which move with the door each time it is opened.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,578, an ice storage bin is carried by a slidable freezer drawer or basket. While it is stated that the freezer drawer may be selectively moved in and out of the refrigeration compartment, the means for effecting such movement is not described.
In the above described arrangements, the storage bins in a refrigerator are arranged such that either they move with the opening of the refrigerator door, each time the door is opened, or they remain stationary in the refrigeration compartment unless manually moved by the user after the door is opened.
It would be an improvement in the art if an arrangement were provided such that the user may select whether the storage basket will move automatically upon the opening of the refrigerator door, or will remain stationary in the refrigeration compartment unless manually moved by the user.